Peach pitting machine



1939- L. H. MILLEN 2,185,090

PEACH FITTING MACHINE Filed March 23, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet l IIYVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

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Patented Dec. 26, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PEACH FITTING MACHINELincoln H. Millen, Modesto, Calif. Application March 23, unisex-m1 No.197,712

3 Claims.

The device forming the subject-matter of this application is apeach-pitting machine. One ob ject of the invention is to provide novelmeans for mounting and operating the peach-holding cups, and anotherobject of the invention is to supply novel means for dividing a peachand removing the pit.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved peach m pitting machine;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the improved peach pittingmachine taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view of the improved peach pittingmachine taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the knives and associated parts;

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the knives and associated parts;

Figure 6 is a top plan of the knives and associated parts;

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 1--'I of Figure .4;

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 88 of Figure 4;

Figure 9 is a partial sectional view taken on the'line 9-9 of Figure 4;

Figure 10 is a side elevation of the cam operated plunger which operatesthe knives;

Figure 11 is an end view of the cam operated plunger which operates theknives;

Figure 12 is a detailed view showing the relative position of the camson the cam operated 35 plunger when the extractor elements areapproximately one-quarter inch open;

Figure 13 is a detailed view showing the cams on the cam operatedplunger in their position when the extractor elements are wide open;

40 Figure 14 is a detailed view showing the relative position of thecams on the cam operated plunger when the extractor elements are closed.

In carrying out the invention, there is provided a supporting base I,adjacent one end of 45 which is positioned a driving motor 2 having asprocket 3 which operates a sprocket chain 4, which furnishes the motivepower for actuating the several portions of the machine.

Adjacent the opposite end of the base I are a 50 pair of standards 5 and6 in which are mounted alined stub shafts 1 and 8 which areinterconnected by clutch'elements 9, which in turn are operable by alever l0, whereby the apparatus may be started and stopped at the willof A sprocket II is fixed to the stub shaft 8 and receives the sprocketchain 4 which is driven by the motor 2. A clutch adjusting mechanism 12is mounted upon the stub shaft 1 whereby the tension on the clutchelements may be changed as desired. Intermediate the ends of the base Iand disposed thereon, is a pair of standards 13 and 14 between which aremounted a cross shaft 15 on which is disposed a sprocket l6 whichcooperates with a sprocket H on the stub shaft 1, said sprockets beinginter-connected by a sprocket chain l8. Beveled gears l9 and are securedat the opposite end of the cross shaft l5, and mesh with beveled gears21 and 22, respectively. which are mounted upon vertically disposedrotatably mounted shafts 23 and '24, which have their bearings in thestandards 13 and I4 respectively. Sprocket wheels 25 and 26 are secured,respectively, to the shafts 23 and 24. Vertical shafts I09 (Fig. 2) are'mounted on the 20 base I and carry sprocket wheels 29 and 30. Sprocketchains 21 and 28 are engaged, respectively, with the sprocket wheels 29and 25, and

30 and 26. The ends of carrier arms 3| and 32 are mounted, respectively,on the upper ends of 25 the shafts 100-23 and Hill-24.

Disposed on the base 1 adjacent the driving motor 2, is a standard 33provided with a bearing 34 for a stub shaft 35, upon which a sprocket 36is mounted. A sprocket chain 31 is driven by 30 the sprocket 36, and thechain engages a sprocket 38 mounted on a stub shaft 39 carried by astandard 49, as clearly illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings. A chaintightener 41 is provided for tightening the sprocket chain 31. Asprocket wheel 42 secured to the cross shaft 15 is engaged with thesprocket chain 31, to drive the shaft l5. Disposed at intervals alongthe sprocket chain 31 and carried thereby are a plurality of peachcarrier arms 43 comprising diverging supporting 4U fingers 44, and apeach centering stud 45 at the outer end of each of said carrier arms. Apeach receiving trough 46 is mounted above the sprocket chain 31 and isformed with spaced inclined sides, between the carrier arms 43 moveforward 45 progressively toward the point where the divided peachsupporting cups 49 grasp the peaches and progressively move them forwardto the knives and 56, the extractor elements and 66, and the spreaderblades 69 and IlL'all 510 more fully described hereinafter.

Carried by the endless sprocket chains 21 and 28, are a plurality ofdivided peach gripping cups 49 which are pivotally mounted as at 41 onthe outer ends of arms 48 carried by the said sprocket 55 the halves ofthe peaches.

chains. The cups 49 are substantially semi-elliptical in shape, and areprovided with apertures 50 through which the juice from the peaches maypass, and the apertures will prevent any suction on Suitable springs 5lare secured to the cup supporting means, and serve to hold the cups 49away from the sprocket chains 21 and 28. Guide rails 52 and 53 aremounted adjacent to the sprocket chains 21 and 26, and, cooperate' withguide fingers 54=carried by each of the peach gripping cups 9 so thatthe cooperating cup sections will be moved toward each other to graspthe peaches as they are fed from the carrier arms 43 in their traveltoward the peach pitting and slicing apparatus shown in Fig. 4. i

The structure and operation of the peach pitting and splitting apparatuswill now be fully set forth. Disposed at the end of the supporting baseI upon the standard 5, is a frame 64 upon which cooperating peachsplitting knives 55 and 56 are pivoted at 51 and 58, respectively. Itwill be apparent from Fig. 4 that the pivot elements 51 and 58 are soplaced that a single cam operated plunger or rod 59 formed with openings60 and 6|, is thereby connected to the pivot pins 62 and 63 on theknives 55 and 56, in such a manner that when the cam operated plunger orrod is moved upwardlythe knives will move simultaneously toward eachother to effect the splitting of the peach which has been positionedbetween the knives. Mounted upon the frame 6| is a pair of extractorelements and 66. which cooperate with cam shoulders 6! and 68 on the camoperated plunger or rod 59, the extractor elements serving to cut intothe ends of the peaches and to follow around the pit and grip it.Suitable oppositely extending guards 90 are formed on the extremeforward ends of the extractor elements 65. and 66. and serve to enterthe peach and to cause teeth 9| on the extractor elements to cut throughthe meat of the peach leaving a small portion of the meatnext to thepit, and on the pit. The reason for this is that the meat of the peachimmediately next to the pit is very dark in color and it is not desiredto have that portion of the fruit in with the perfect fruit required ina fancy pack. Rearwardly-diverging spreader blades 69 and 70,sharpenedon their forward ends.

are supported on the frame 64 to direct and guide the sections of thepeaches as they are being split,

to the sides of the apparatus, where they will fall upon suitableconveyors (not shown) to he carried away for packing. The spreaderblades 69 and .10 help to split the peach, and to open up the same afterbeing split, thereby relieving the pressure on the extractor elements 65and 66, and finally deflect the two halves of the peach outwardly asthey are advanced.

Cams II and 12 are mounted side by side on the shaft 1, the cam 1icooperating with the plunger or rod 59 for intermittently raising andlowering the cutting blades 55 and 56. The cam 12 cooperates with thelever 13 of a pit-ejector, the lever having a finger l4 engaging the camsurface. The lever 13 is mounted upon the standard 5, and is connectedat its outer end to a link 15, which in turn is connected to a bellcrank lever 16, which carries an ejecting cup 11 at its upper extremity.A spring 18 is connected between the standard 5 and the cutting blade 56to exert a pressure upon the same to open the blade. A spring 19 isconnected to the lever I3 and serves to keep the finger 14 of the leverin contact with the cam I2.

Spring members 66 and 8| constitute yieldable means for exertingpressure upon the extractor elements 65 and 66, to urge them into theirnormally closed position.

The electric motor 2 is started and the clutch 9 i is engaged so thatthe apparatus will begin run-- sure upon the sections of the cup willincrease to grasp the peaches more tightly. As soon' as the peach gets.to a point adjacent the pitting and cutting apparatus of Fig. 4, thecutting knives 55 and 56 will have opened to their fullest extentthrough the medium of the cam H and the slide rod 59, and the kniveswill then close down to split the peach, at which time the extractor'elements 65 and 66 will force themselvesint'o the end of the peach' andfollow around the pit, cutting the same free. The pit is clampedbetween; the pit extractor elements 65 and 66, and as the .peach is cutin half the two portions thereof will follow the spreader blades 69 andIll where they will be dropped upon a suitableconveyer (not shown). I

Thereafter, the cutting blades 55 and '56 will again be opened to theirfullest position due to the action of the cam H and the plunger-or rod59, and the cam 12 will causethe pperation of the pit ejector1315-'l61'|, as the extractor elements 65-66 are opened, and the pitwill be forcefully pushed out of the extractor elements. I'his operationcontinues as fast as the peaches reach the cutting and pitting apparatusof Fig. 4, and it is possible to extract the pits rapidly. Springpressed gates 62 are mounted at the rear of the peach gripping cups 49and are brought into play and opened only in the event that an extralarge pit is found in a peach and if the extractor elements 65-66 shouldmove further than the back end of the peach gripping cups 49. This is asafety measure and very seldom is utilized, as the peach pits are ofpractically uniform size.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a peach pitting machine, a base, a peach splitting mechanismmounted on the base, up- I right driven shafts journaled on the base,second upright shafts carried by the base, first sprocket wheels securedto the driven shafts;

second sprocket wheels carried by the second shafts, sprocket chainsengaged with the first and second sprocket wheels, carrier arms mountedterminally on the driven and second shafts and disposed, each, withinone of the sprocket chains, guide rails disposed between the inner runsof the sprocket chains and converging toward the peach splittingmechanism, cooperating peach holding cups pivoted to the chains andprovided with fingers which ride along the outer surfaces of the railsand contrain the cups to grip a peach and move it toward the peachsplitting mechanism, and spring means connected with the cups tomaintain the fingers engaged with the outer surfaces of the rails.

2. In a peach pitting machine, a frame, upper and lower knives pivotallymounted on the frame for opening and closingmovement, power driven meansfor opening and closing the knives to cause them to follow around thepit of a peach and divide the peach into halves, extractor elementspivotally mounted on the frame for opening and closing movement in adirection at right angles to the direction in which the knives open andclose, the working ends of the extractor elements being set back fromthe working ends of the knives, whereby, after the knives have begun thesevering operation, the extractor elements follow the pit of a. peach,yieldable means for closing the extractor elements, to cause them tofollow and grip the pit of a peach, pairs of spreader blades secured tothe frame and comprising rearwardly-diverging, peach-spreading partslocated on opposite sides of the respective knives, one pair of spreaderblades extending above the extractor elements, and the other pair ofspreader blades extending below the extractor elements, to separate thehalves of a 'peach in the vicinity of the periphery of the peach and tolessen the strain on the extractor elements, and means for feeding apeach upon the knives, the extractor elements and the spreader blades.

3. A peach pitting machine constructed as set forth in claim 2, andwherein the power driven means embodies a plunger mounted for recip--rocation on the frame and pivoted to the knives,

the plunger having cam parts operating the ex-

